


What Might Have Been

by orphan_account



Category: Lord of the Rings - All Media Types, The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: M/M, Wtf did I just write, this is complete crack
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-01-29
Updated: 2013-01-31
Packaged: 2017-11-27 09:44:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,525
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/660500
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Thorin and Bilbo settled down in the Shire and adopted Frodo, Sam, Merry, Pippin, Fili, and Kili, and rescued Legolas.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> What  
> I don't even know?????  
> Like where did this idea even come from???

Bilbo is used to being looked at funny. Who wouldn't be, in his position? He lives in a society that is all about being the same, and he is very near to the most different a hobbit could possibly be from normal. He's married to a dwarf, and has seven children--four hobbits, two dwarfs, and an elfling, for Aulë's sake.  
He and Thorin had never intended to have so many kids - it just kind of happened. The young hobbits, along with the two dwarfings, had all been orphaned, and the young elf had been found wandering all alone in the forest, and of course Bilbo couldn't say no to any of them.  
It was a good thing Bag-End was so big, or else there wouldn't be any way they could keep all the children, he thought, as he watched them play outside with some of the 'normal' hobbit children, probably against the wishes of their parents. None of the hobbits (except the Tooks, of course) had accepted Thorin when they had first gotten married, and when they had begun adopting children their perception of him and Bilbo had gotten even worse. This was pushing it, even for the Tooks, but Bilbo didn't care. He was happy with Thorin and the children.  
Bilbo was shaken out of his reverie to reprimand the children, who were getting out of hand. "Legolas! Kili! How many times do I have to tell you two not to shoot others with your bows! Do you want me to call your father?"  
"No!" they yelled. "We'll stop! Promise!"  
"It's time for lunch anyways," said Bilbo. "Get the rest of your brothers, please."  
"Yes, daddy," they said, quickly grabbing everyone else and scrambling inside the house for lunch.  
"Frodo, Sam, Merry, Pippin, Kili, Legolas... Where's Fili?" asked Bilbo.  
"Last I saw him he was with father," said Kili. "Fili gets to do everything just because he's the oldest. It's not fair!"  
"You'll have your chance," said Legolas, ever the peacemaker.  
Kili just stuck out his tongue in response.  
"And that, little bird, is why Fili gets to do things you don't," said Bilbo, chuckling. "Now sit down with everyone else so you can eat lunch."  
"I'm hungry," complained Frodo.  
"I'm going as fast as I can," said Bilbo. "I promise you won't starve."  
Just then, Thorin walked in with Fili hanging on his back, and was immediately tackled by six young children.  
"Father!" they shrieked.  
"You would think I'd been gone for a month," said Thorin, chuckling. "We've been gone for a few hours."  
Once he had shaken off all the children, he went to go give Bilbo a quick hug, careful not to get his way too much. "Did you have fun taking care of all of the kids?"  
"I'm about this close to taking Kili and Legolas' bows," said Bilbo. "They refuse to stop shooting their brothers and other children."  
Thorin turned and raised his eyebrows at Kili and Legolas, who gave him looks of innocence, which all seven children had quickly perfected. He rolled his eyes and said "So, what have you all been doing today--other than shooting people?"  
"Estella said that Gandalf might come back to visit soon!" said Frodo.  
"That reminds me!" said Bilbo. "We've been invited to Rivendell for a celebration."  
"Can we go? Can we? Please?" asked all the children.  
"It's fine with me," said Bilbo. "What about you, Thorin?"  
"I see no reason to say no," he said, and the children cheered. "However, there is a condition--everyone must be on their best behavior until we leave, or no trip. That means no shooting people, no sneaking around, and no getting into the pantry when it's not meal time."  
"I think those are fair conditions," said Bilbo. "If you can't behave here, there's no way you can behave in Rivendell."  
The children agreed, and plans were made to set out in one week.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was requested by Terra  
> How each of the children were taken in by Bilbo and Thorin.

"Do I have to go?" asked Thorin. "I look stupid."  
"You do not look stupid," said Bilbo, giving Thorin a quick kiss. "You look handsome, as always, and yes you have to go, they were my cousins!"  
Thorin just grumbled.  
"We're going to be late if we don't get a move on!" said Bilbo.  
"Oh yes, that would be terrible," muttered Thorin.  
Bilbo turned around. "I heard that, and that's enough whining. They were my cousins, and what happened to them is terrible, and I'll not have you being disrespectful."  
Thorin at least had the good sense to look apologetic.  
"Come on, then! We really will be late to the funeral if we don't hurry!"

"I wonder what's going to happen to little Frodo," said Bilbo.  
"Well," said a hobbit who had overheard him. "You are his closest living relative..."  
"No. Absolutely not. We are not adopting a child," said Thorin.  
"Where else is he to go?" asked Bilbo. "Will no one else take him?"  
"You're his only living relative even close to willing to take him in. The Bagginses refuse to raise someone who is so... Tookish, but they won't let the Tooks take him in."  
"Well then, I guess we have no choice," said Bilbo.  
"No," said Thorin. "We do not need a child."  
"Well, do you have a suggestion as to where he should go, then?" asked Bilbo.  
Thorin did not respond.  
"Please, Thorin. He's my nephew," said Bilbo.  
"Fine," grumbled Thorin. "I'm going to regret this, but fine."  
"Well, let's go find him then!" said Bilbo, running off, leaving Thorin to reluctantly follow him.

"Uncle Bilbo!" exclaimed Frodo.  
"Hello, little one. You've grown since I last saw you!" said Bilbo.  
Frodo giggled as Bilbo picked him up. "How would you feel about coming to live with Thorin and I?" asked Bilbo.  
"Who's Thorin?" asked Frodo.  
"Thorin! Come over here!" called Bilbo.  
Thorin walked over to them, and Frodo whispered to Bilbo "He's scary looking."  
"Oh he's not scary at all. He's really very sweet," said Bilbo. "If you two give each other a chance, I think you would get along very well."  
"Are you a dwarf?" asked Frodo, slowly warming up to Thorin. "Did you go on the quest? Did you kill a dragon?"  
"Yes, to all of those," said Thorin.  
Frodo scrambled out of Bilbo's arms and went over to Thorin, asking to be picked up. Thorin obliged reluctantly, and Frodo climbed up onto his back, examining Thorin's braids as they walked back to Bag-End.

Thorin had proved himself to be a wonderful father, if a little bit overprotective. Once he warmed up to the idea of having a child around, he and Frodo had become very close.

Months later, one of Bilbo's good friends--Hamfast Gamgee--died. His son, Samwise, was left orphaned, with no living relatives. When Bilbo told Thorin this news, Thorin knew exactly what was coming.  
"We don't need any more children, Bilbo. One is quite enough," said Thorin.  
"This is exactly what happened with Frodo, Thorin, my love. He had nowhere else to go. Besides, he and Frodo are already good friends," said Bilbo.  
Thorin sighed. "Another battle I know I cannot win."  
Bilbo smiled and gave Thorin a kiss in thanks. "My conscience wouldn't allow me to just leave someone so young alone,"  
"And that's one of the reasons I love you," said Thorin.

A few hours later, Bilbo came home carrying a sleeping Samwise.  
"Sorry it took me so long, by Aulë some hobbits love the sound of their own voice," he said. "Where's Frodo?"  
"In his room playing," said Thorin. "Frodo! Your dad is back!"  
Frodo poked his head out of his room. "Is Sam here?"  
"Yes, but he's asleep, so be quiet. Were you good for your father?" asked Bilbo.  
"Yep!" said Frodo. "Can we wake up Sam?"  
"You may, but be nice about it," said Bilbo.  
When Frodo woke Sam, he was slightly bewildered until he was reminded that he lived in Bag-End now. He had visited often enough to be unperturbed by Thorin, and he and Frodo promptly disappeared back into Frodo's room.  
"Do you honestly think this will be so terrible? There's only two of them," said Bilbo.  
"I seem to remember my sister and I causing quite a lot of havoc, and there were only tow of us," said Thorin. "But no, I don't think it will be bad. I just don't want to share you anymore than I have to."  
Bilbo sat down next to Thorin and cuddled close to him. "I'll always have time for you, no matter how many children we adopt."

Bilbo and Thorin had decided to visit Erebor again, to see old friends and to see how the rebuilding process was going. Their journey there was mostly uneventful until they had almost reached Erebor, and stumbled across two dwarflings.  
"Who are you two? Where are your parents? You shouldn't be wandering so far from the mountain," said Thorin.  
"I'm Fili and this is Kili, and we're trying to find our parents, we haven't seen them for days," said Fili.  
"Why don't you come with us?" asked Bilbo. "We're headed to Erebor, and I bet we can find your parents."  
Fili and Kili joined them, and quickly made friends with Frodo and Sam.  
After much confusion about the two dwarflings Thorin and Bilbo had found, it was determined that their parents had been killed in a recent Orc raid. When they heard this news, Bilbo and Thorin made a unanimous decision.  
"We'll take them in," said Thorin.  
"Are you sure?" asked Bilbo.  
"You're right, we can't just leave children that young to fend for themselves,"  
Bilbo smiled. "Well then, young Fili and Kili, we haven't even introduced ourselves properly. I am Bilbo Baggins, this is my husband Thorin, and these are our other adopted children, Frodo and Sam, tjough it seems you have already acquainted yourselves with them. Welcome to our family."  
They stayed in Erebor for a few weeks, and visited with the rest of the Company. They were quite surprised when they saw the size of Bilbo and Thorin's growing family, and how different Thorin acted around them. When it was finally time to go back to The Shire, they made sure to invite the Company to visit any time.

Nearly a year after Fili and Kili joined the family, tragedy struck the Shire. During a party on the Brandywine river, several of the boats capsized, drowning many hobbits. Among those who died were the parents of Merry Brandybuck and Pippin Took. The first place anyone thought to ask about taking in Merry and Pippin was, of course, Bag-End.  
"Mr. Baggins?" said a voice from outside the front door.  
"Coming, coming!" said Bilbo. "Now, Fili and Sam, stay there and don't get into anything, ok?"  
He reached the front door and opened it to an adult hobbit he didn't recognize, and two young hobbits he did.  
"Hello Merry, hello Pippin," said Bilbo. "What is the matter?"  
"There was an accident on the Brandywine. Their parents drowned when their boat capsized," said the adult hobbit.  
"Oh dear. Thorin, come here please! Come in, we'd better talk about this inside," said Bilbo.  
Bilbo found Thorin with Frodo and Kili in the living room.  
Thorin raised his eyebrows when he saw the two young hobbits. "Why are they here?" he asked. "Don't tell me that they've been orphaned too,"  
"Sadly, yes," said Bilbo. "Their parents drowned in an accident on the Brandywine."  
Thorin sighed. "Well, Frodo and Kili, how do you feel about two new brothers?"  
Frodo and Kili cheered.  
Sam and Fili ran in. "What happened?" Sam asked.  
"You have two new brothers," said Bilbo.  
"Really?" exclaimed Fili.  
"Really," said Thorin. "Since apparently we don't have enough children yet."

Months passed without event, and Bilbo and Thorin thought their family had finally stopped growing--until one day when Bilbo, Kili, and Sam were out in the forest gathering herbs.  
"Daddy! Come here!" yelled Kili.  
"What is it, Kili?" asked Bilbo, exasperated with the young dwarf.  
"No, I'm serious! Come here! There's someone lying on the ground over there!"  
At this Bilbo ran over and saw that Kili was (for once) not lying, there really was someone lying on the ground, and from the looks of it a very young elf. Bilbo's limited medical training took over, and he rushed to examine the elf, feeling or his pulse.  
"He's alive," said Bilbo, relieved. "He seems very malnourished. We need to take him back home. Kili, you help me carry him. Sam, you carry our baskets."  
They made their way back to Bag-End, and thankfully Thorin was not there. Bilbo wasn't sure how he would react to the elf, and just needed to treat him without arguing with Thorin.  
"You two, if your father comes home before I'm done, I need you to distract him in any way possible. He can't see the elf until I finish treating him, ok?"  
"Why not?" asked Sam.  
"He doesn't exactly--like elves," said Bilbo. "Don't worry about it."  
He shooed them into the next room and began trying to treat the young elf. He was almost through when he heard Thorin and the other children come in, and he prayed Kili and Sam could buy him enough time to finish. They did--barely. Just as he emerged, he saw that Thorin had been about to enter the room where he had been.  
"Thorin--I need to speak to you in private for a minute," he said, pulling him aside. "You six--stay out of trouble--or else."  
"What's the matter?" asked Thorin curiously.  
"Well--when we were in the forest we may have, uh, come across an elf..."  
"An ELF?"  
"It's ok, Thorin. It was a very young elf, smaller than me, and he was unconscious. He was obviously starving and sick and I may have...brought him back here to treat him... Please don't be angry with me,"  
Thorin sighed. "I understand you can't handle a hobbit or a dwarf being left alone, but an ELF? Bilbo..."  
"He would have DIED if I had left him there. I can't have that on my conscience,"  
"He can stay here until he heals then. When he has gotten better we will see what happens."  
"Thank you for understanding, my love," said Bilbo, planting a kiss on Thorin's cheek. "We should probably go tell the children, I'm sure the suspense is killing them,"  
They walked back into the main room.  
"What's going on?" asked Frodo.  
"When Kili and Sam and I were out in the forest, we came across a sick elfling, and I brought him back. We have decided that he will stay with us at least until he is healed, possibly permanently.

When the elfling woke up, Bilbo questioned him, and discovered his name was Legolas, but he couldn't remember any of his past. It took him several weeks to recover completely, and by the end of the time, there was no question about him staying in Bag-End. Despite Thorin's best intentions otherwise, the young elf had grown on him, and now was loved just as much as any of the other children.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not sure if the spacing is fixed, if its not let me know and I'll try and fix it on my computer.

**Author's Note:**

> ????  
>  Once again I can't figure out a good title


End file.
